Fall 2014 Seminar Highlight

Fall 2014 MALS Seminar Highlight

Dr. Kochersberger’s Fall 2014 class at RDU.

As part of Dr. Robert Kochersberger’s MLS 501 seminar, “Aviation and the Rise of Civilization,” the students visited the Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Oct. 22. They learned about air traffic control and got their hands on several of the aircraft flown by the N.C. Division of Aviation, including a King Air turboprop, a Cessna Citation jet and a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter. Tom Freeman of the Division of Aviation described the aircraft and talked about how each is used by the state.

The students also got to the top of the 20-story control tower, where controllers see and communicate with arriving and departing planes in the vicinity of the airport. They visited the radar room, where controllers deal with aircraft up to 50 miles out. The controllers showed and demonstrated the equipment and procedures used.

Kochersberger’s seminar covered aspects of aviation ranging from history to commerce to diplomacy. Student research covered a variety of subjects, ranging from the mysteries of disappearing aircraft to the rich history of African-American aviators to an interstate rivalry over the Wright Brothers.